Carolina Panthers players had their sleep disturbed by a hotel fire alarm before their Oct. 18 game in Seattle.AP

SEATTLE — The Carolina Panthers got an unexpectedly early wake-up call Sunday morning when the fire alarm went off at their downtown Seattle hotel prior to their game against the Seahawks.

The Panthers posted a statement on their website saying an alarm “was pulled” around 5:40 a.m. PDT, about 7½ hours prior to kick-off against the Seahawks. The team said players and staff were evacuated from the hotel and by 6 a.m. everyone was given clearance to return to their rooms.

A number of Panthers players tweeted about the alarm. Backup QB Derek Anderson said it was just the Panthers’ floors that were disturbed by the alarm, not the entire hotel.